Starting device for internal-combustion engines.



v A. c. WELLS. STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLIOIATION FILED OUT. 7, 1908.

91 ,073, Patented Mar. 23', 1,909.;-

I I v. v W

WITNESSES 1 ATTORNEYS ARTHUR CORNWALL WELLS, or AMITYVILLE, NEW YORK.

STARTING DEVICE FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 23, 1909.

Application filed October 7, 1908. Serial No. 456,536.

To allwlzom it may concern:

Be 1t known that I ,'AR'rnUa CORNWALL V ELLS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of' Amityville, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented a new and'Improved Starting Device for Inter nal-Combustion Engines, of which the following-is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in devicesfor controlling the starting crank of an internal combustion engine and for detaching .the crank from the engine in case of a back fire.

. The invention consists in certain details of construction hereinafter described .and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorrespondingparts in all. the figures, and in which Figure 1 is a face view of a mechanism constructed in accordance with my invention, the parts being in normal or starting position; Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the parts in the position they occupy after a back fire Fig. 3 is an edge view of the.

operating-parts, the casing being shown in section on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4'is an edge view of the operating parts, the casing being shown in section on the line 44 ofFig. 1, and Fig. 5 is a View similar to a portion of 'Fig. 3 but showing the upper portion of one member and the lockingdevice broken away.

My improved device is made up primarily of two main members 10 and 11, one of which is non-rotatably mounted and the other of which is rotatable with the starting frame. One of these members carries a gripping device such that the second-mentioned member .may be freely rotated in one direction and locked to the engine shaft,-but uponrotating in the opposite direction, the gripping device acts not only to prevent the rotation of said second member, but-also operates to detachably connect the crank shaft to the engine shaft.

In the specific form illustrated, the mem ber 10' is in the form of a cylindrical casing having an end wall12, a cylindrical wall 13, and an inwardly-directed flange 14 opposite to'thc end wall 1.2. This casing is supported by; the engine frame m any suitable manner,

as, for instance, by a plurality of brackets 15,

extending outwardly from the engine and .ber 25, preferably in the form of a ball.

each having a slot 16 extending longitudinally thereof and. through which projects a corresponding stud or pin. 17 on the cylindrical wall of the casing. The brackets serve to hold the .1;

casing against rotation in respect to the engine frame but permit of a limited longitudinal movement of the casing. This longitudinal movement permitsthe starting devlce to be moved longitudinally into or out of operative engagement with the engine shaft.

'The casing L's-supported in alinement with the engine shaft 18 and concentricin respect thereto, saidengine shaft terminating adjacent the open inner end of the casing and having oppositely-disposed radially-extending projections 19, bymeans of which the starting mechanism may grip the shaft.

.The second main member 11 is disposed within the casing 10 and is secured to the 'shaft 20 of the starting device. This crank extends through the end wall 12 of the casing and is provided at its outer end with acrank 21, or any other suitable means for rotating the shaft. The main body of the member 1 1 is-in the form of a plate adjacent the end wall 12, but extending outwardly from this plate is a central collar 22, keyed to the shaft 20, and a series of lugs arranged adjacent the periphery of the plate. Two of these lugs .23 serve as pivotal supports for levers 24, which are disposed at dial'nctrically opposite points and have their outer peripheries substantially parallel to but spaced from the inner surface of the cylindrical wall 13. The free ends of these levers are normallyfomed outwardly toward said cylindrical wall by the action of springs intermediate the inner surfaces of the levers and the collar 22, and intermediate each lever and said wall is a rotatable ma lm- 1e movement of the ball in one direction is limited by 'the lever-supporting. lugs 23,

while its movement in the opposite direction J is limited by lugs 26, comprising portions of the member 11., With the balls adjacent.

the pivotal supports of the levers 24, the free ends of the latter may come adjacent t he inner surface of the cylindrical wall, but with the balls in their opposite limitingposition, the

outer surfaces of said levers come suhstantiallv parallel to said wall. For retaining the balls in position, the outer surfaces of the levers may, if desired, be longitiuhnally grooved. Pivotally secured to opposite sides oi: the. collar 22, are two catches 27, which extend 'of the member ll will cause the balls 25 to outwardly and engage with the pins or.,.pro- I .jections 19 on the engine shaft when the i cranking device is in use. These catches-are mounted upon radiallymined position. by corresponding tension springs 27" and stops 27 When the parts are in operative position the-catches 27 are in the position indicated in Fig. -5 and they. are locked against movement by corresponding locking pins 29, which engage with the inner ends of said catches." These locking l pins are movable substantially radially Through guide lugs 30, carried by the memier 11, and the limits .of movement of said pins'are such that they may be brought into or out of engagement with the catches 27. The locking pins 29 are operatively connected to the levers 24 by corresponding bell crank levers 31, pivoted upon ins 32 extending outwardly from the mem er 11. With the balls'25 adjacent the pivotal supports of the levers 2.4, the lociiingpins will be in oper-' ative position, but as the free ends of the levers are moved away from the casing wall, the pins are drawn outwardly and'to inoperative position to liberate the catches 27.

In the operation of my improved device, the parts are brought to the position shown in Fig. 1 and the casing 10 is moved inwardly to bring the catches 27 into the annular path of the pins or studs- 19. By rotating the member 11 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fi 1, the catches 27 engage with the ins or studs and the engine shaft is posistart the engine. Should the engine properly start, the engine shaft will begin rotating'at a faster speed than the starting device, and when the studs engage with the rear side of the catches 27, the entire starter is moved longitudinally upon thebr'ackets 15 and the shaft 18 is free to rotate entirely independently thereof. In case of back fire, the starting device would be compelled to rotate in the reverse direction withthe engine shaft distance, but the reverse rotation travel along the inner surface of the cylinfor a short drical easing wall 13, and this movement of tive y rotated. in the proper direction to\ the balls will swing the levers 24 inwardly, as indicated in Fig. 2, This movement of the levers 24 serves to withdraw the locking pins 29 and the catches .27 may then swing freely out of the path of the pins or studs 19; The balls 25 operate by frictional engagement both with the levers 24 and with the wall 13, i so that as soon as the reverse rotation is started, the balls instantly travel away from the lugs 23 and roll toward the free ends of the'levers to force the latter inwardly against lisposed pivot pins I 28.-and they are normally held in a predeterthe action of the springs. As soon as the en gine shaft stops and the starting device is again rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the balls will return to the lugs 23 and the catches 27 will be returned to their normal position b their corresponding springs and will again e locked in operative position by the locking pins 29.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: .1. A starting ,device for engine shafts, comprising a casing having an annular friction surface, a member within said casing and having a means operatively connected. to said lever for connectingsaid member and said shaft,.t0 rotate the latter in one direction, and a roller intermediate said lever and said friction surface foro crating the lever and detaching the member romthe-shaft-upon the rotation of the latterin the reverse direction.

2. In combination, an engine shaft having outwardly-extending studs or projections, a rotatable member having catches for engaging with saidprojections, locking means for holding said catches in predetermined relationship to said member, and a lever carried by said member for operating said locking means upon member in one direction.

3. In combination, an engine shaft having outwardly extending studs or. projections, a rotatable member having catches for engagement with said studs, locking means for holding said catches in predetermined relationship to said member, levers operatively connected to said locking means, a non-rotatable member, and rollers intermediate said nonrotatable member and said levers, for operating the latter upon the rotation of the shaft and member in one direction.

4. A starting device for engine shafts, comprising a non-rotatable casing, a rotatable member mounted therein, means for operatively connecting said member to the shaft, to-rotate the latter in one direction,

lever adjacent said surface,

the rotation of the shaft and lever mechanism for controlling said con necting means, and a member operated by frictional contact with said casing and said lever mechanism for moving said lever and disconnecting said rotatable member and shaft upon the rotation of the latter in the reverse direction.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR CORNWALL WELLS.

Witnesses J. LELAND WELLs, HENRY W. ARCIIIBALD. 

